We often worry about extremists groups like ISIS destroying history in the Middle East. But in Beirut, private capital and well-connected developers are also wiping away relics of our ancient past. The following column was first published in Bold Magazine. By Habib Battah …
The word entrepreneur has become ubiquitous in talk about the future of Arab business. Some have even claimed a quiet economic revolution is at our feet, running in parallel to the political uprisings across the region. But who is making money in the young Arab …
This column was first published in the April issue of Bold Magazine A Thirst For Silence By Habib Battah Conflict in Lebanon is often analyzed through the lens of simplistic dichotomies: pro-Syria and anti-Syria; pro Western and anti-Western, pro Hezbollah or anti-Hezbollah. But more often than …
Published in the January issue of Al Jazeera Digital Magazine, available on iTunes. Words and photos by Habib Battah A waiter surveys a row of empty tables beneath the Place D’Etoile clock tower seen on so many postcards of Beirut. Once a gritty, bustling …
This piece was originally published in the December issue of Bold Magazine. Aid: Lebanon’s Mission Impossible IT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS THE WORST REFUGEE CRISIS TO BEFALL ANY NATION IN HISTORY, BUT SO FAR LEBANON HAS RECEIVED A MINISCULE AMOUNT OF AID TO COPE WITH THE …
Here is a copy of my article and photo-essay for this month’s Al Jazeera’s digital magazine, available for free on iTunes. People have long fled into and out of Lebanon but the latest refugee surge from neighboring Syria is placing a growing strain …
Published August 2012 // BOLD MAGAZINE By Habib BattahMuch of what has been said or written about Lebanon’s shamefully unreliable internet connection, which remains one of the world’s slowest, has focused on the actions of one man, Abdel Moneim Youssef. As the the head of …
Here’s a copy of my cover story for this month’s issue of Bold Magazine: WEB OF DECEIT: HOW LEBANON’S INTERNET FAILED BUSINESS By Habib Battah There were no tweets, no angry blog posts, not even a boo from the audience of spunky young web developers …